1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hot water apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 10-339505 discloses a conventional hot water apparatus. The hot water apparatus comprises a main body thereof connected to a water distribution device such as a faucet via plumbing and a remote controller for remotely controlling the main body of the hot water apparatus. The main body of the hot water apparatus is provided with a control device capable of controlling temperature of hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus (temperature of the hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus to the plumbing). The remote controller is provided with a setting element of temperature of outflowing hot water for setting temperature of outflowing hot water desired by a user (hereinafter referred to as a “requested value”) and a display element of temperature of outflowing hot water for displaying the set requested value. Further, the control device is provided with a deviation-value setting element for setting a deviation value (a difference between the temperature of the outflowing hot water targeted by the control device in control processing and the requested value displayed on the display element of the temperature of the outflowing hot water, for example 0.5° C. or 1° C.,) with respect to the requested value. When the deviation-value setting element is operated to set the deviation value described above, the control device has a function for setting the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus to target temperature which is obtained by increasing the requested value by the set deviation value and performing processing for correcting the temperature of the outflowing hot water so that the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus can be controlled to the target temperature.
In this hot water apparatus, the temperature of the outflowing hot water controlled by the control device is not the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the water distribution device but the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus to the plumbing. Therefore, when an amount of heat dissipation is comparatively large on a way of the plumbing from the main body of the hot water apparatus to the water distribution device, and if the temperature of the outflowing hot water is controlled while taking the required value as the target temperature of the hot water outflowing from the main body of the hot water apparatus, the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the water distribution device may be decreased to lower temperature than the requested value due to the heat dissipation on the way of the plumbing. In this case, the user often feels that the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the water distribution device is much lower than the set requested value.
Accordingly, in the hot water apparatus according to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 10-339505, a predicted decrease of the temperature of the hot water on the way of the plumbing can be set as the deviation value in the deviation-value setting element of the control device in the case described above. This hot water apparatus is adapted to enable the control device to perform the process for correcting the temperature of the outflowing hot water based on the set deviation value so that the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the water distribution device can be substantially equal to the requested value displayed on the display element of the temperature of the outflowing hot water in the remote controller.
However, according to the conventional hot water apparatus described above, the deviation setting element for setting the deviation value is provided in the control device installed in the main body of the hot water apparatus. Therefore, it is difficult in general for the user of the hot water apparatus to operate the deviation setting element to set the deviation value, and only skilled workers in installing the hot water apparatus can set the deviation value when the hot water apparatus is installed.
On the other hand, it is desired that the deviation value is repeatedly changed as needed, since the heat dissipation on the way of the plumbing between the main body of the hot water apparatus and the water distribution device changes depending on the season and the like. Since it is difficult to ask a skilled worker to change the deviation value every time as needed, the temperature of the hot water outflowing from the water distribution device cannot be substantially equal to the requested value desired by the user in many occasions.
The main body of the hot water apparatus including the control device having the deviation setting element is generally disposed at an outside away from a kitchen, lavatory or bath room in which the water distribution device is installed. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to come and go many times between the installation places of the main body of the hot water apparatus and the water distribution device while confirming the temperature of the hot water actually outflowing from the water distribution device until the appropriate deviation value is set. In this case, a work of setting the deviation value is troublesome and annoying.